Our home, planet Earth, is the only planet we know which can sustain life. The universe, however, contains billions of stars, and we are only now able to discover planets which orbit them. The number of stars is enormous, and the distance between them immense. We now can predict the life cycle of a star, from its birth onward, and understand much about the life of the universe as a whole, from birth onward.
Prior Learning (from S8 Anchors):
S8.D.3.1 Explain the relationships between and among the objects of our solar system.
S8.D.3.1.1 Describe patterns of Earth’s movements (i.e., rotation and revolution) and the Moon’s movements (i.e., phases, eclipses, and tides) in relation to the Sun.
S8.D.3.1.2 Describe the role of gravity as the force that governs the movement of the solar system and universe.
S8.D.3.1.3 Compare and contrast characteristics of celestial bodies found in the solar system (e.g., moons, asteroids, comets, meteors, inner and outer planets).
Learning Objectives: Students will be able to...
Describe planetary motion and the physical laws that explain planetary motion and solar system formation.
Describe a variety of satellite orbits with particular advantages for technological purposes (e.g. geosynchronous, sun-synchronous, elliptical, polar).
Describe the structure, formation, and life cycle of stars.
Explain the current scientific theories of the origin of the solar system and universe (e.g., big bang theory, solar nebular theory, stellar evolution).
Apply scale as a way of relating concepts of space and distance.
Compare and contrast various telescope imaging systems.
Working Draft of Essential Learning Activities/Strategies/Technologies
Enduring Understandings
Our home, planet Earth, is the only planet we know which can sustain life. The universe, however, contains billions of stars, and we are only now able to discover planets which orbit them. The number of stars is enormous, and the distance between them immense. We now can predict the life cycle of a star, from its birth onward, and understand much about the life of the universe as a whole, from birth onward.Prior Learning (from S8 Anchors):
S8.D.3.1 Explain the relationships between and among the objects of our solar system.Learning Objectives: Students will be able to...
Working Draft of Essential Learning Activities/Strategies/Technologies
Supplementary Resources:
Spectroscopic Analysis of Stars (PBS Online, Physics 2000 Online, Planck's Law Online, Blackbody Radiation Online)Power of 10 video
Life Cycle of Stars- pdf at the bottom of page
Big Bang Expanding Universe Activity- http://btc.montana.edu/ceres/html/Universe/uni1.html -using balloons
Measuring Distances-
Solar System Scale Models - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_system_model
Build a Telescope:( http://www.life.uiuc.edu/boast1/sciencelessons/telescopes.htm or Light Box Reflector and Refractor)
- Big-Bang Investigation (Elastic Band Investigation)
- Star Density Investigation (Aluminum Foil Density Investigation)
Solar System Orbits/ GraphingCircular and Elliptical Orbit Drawing
Online HR Diagram Simulations
Gravitational Fields on Different Planets
http://science.howstuffworks.com/telescope.htm
http://science.howstuffworks.com/apophis.htm
http://science.howstuffworks.com/satellite.htm
http://www.howstuffworks.com/gps.htm
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/satellite-tv.htm
http://science.howstuffworks.com/hubble.htm
http://science.howstuffworks.com/planet-hunting.htm
http://science.howstuffworks.com/star.htm
http://www.noao.edu/outreach/press/pr01/0106images.html
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/publications/tnl/tnl.html
http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/about/index.html
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/teachers/teachers_corner.html
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/
http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/m_uni.html
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/publications/tnl/tnl.html
http://hypnagogic.net/sim/ for some good sims
Text- Science Spectrum Ch. 18.2 Life Cycle; Ch. 18.1 Scale of universe & Big Bang Theory; p 15 types of telescopes- how they work must be supplemented; Ch. 6.2 Fusion; p 404 Geo-synch Satellites; p 598 Nebula Model;
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html
http://education.nasa.gov/home/index.html
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/index.cfm
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/neo
Online Solar System Simulations
Excel-based Analysis of Elliptical Orbits
Instructional Objectives: Students will be able to
Optics of Telescopes (focusing waves)- locate the focal point of parabolic mirrors and convex lenses.
- discuss how images in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum enhance our understanding of stars.
- Build a Telescope
Planetary Gravity- compare the fields of gravity on different planets.
- explain how gravity can be universal, but create different fields on different planets.
Solar System Orbits & Solar Nebular Theory- plot the orbital speed vs distance for objects in our solar system.
- explain how solar nebular theory explains solar system formation.
Elliptical Orbits & Asteroid Impact- describe changes in speed as an object follows an elliptical orbit.
- discuss the possibility of collision between obiting bodies.
Synchronous Orbits (Sun-synch, Geo-synch)- explain the use of various synchronous orbits.
Birth & Formation of Stars (gravity and fusion)- describe the role of gravity in the formation of stars.
- describe the process of fusion in the ignition of stars.
Life Cycle of Stars (HR Diagram)- compare the inward forces of gravity and the outward forces from nuclear explosion at different stages of the life of a star.
- trace the possible stages of stellar evolution for low-mass and high-mass stars.
Scale of Universe (orders of magnitude)- compare the scales of our planet, our solar system, our galaxy, and the entire universe.
- use orders of magnitude to represent a broad range of numerical data.
Evidence for Big Bang Theory (Doppler effect, microwave radiation)References to PDE Academic Standards, Anchors, and Eligible Content